An inkjet printer having at least one print head in which an aerodynamic element is placed before (e.g. in a transport direction) a recording medium (e.g. in the form of a sheet or page or plate) to reduce or avoid turbulences that may arise due to the relative motion between print head(s) and recording medium at an edge of the recording medium.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An inkjet printer for printing to a recording medium, comprising: a print head having one or more nozzles arranged in a nozzle plate; and a conveyor configured to move the recording medium in a transport direction relative to the print head to print a print image onto the recording medium and such that at least an intake edge of the recording medium is arranged below the nozzle plate, wherein a clearance below the nozzle plate as of the intake edge corresponds to a reference clearance wherein the conveyor includes: a conveyor belt configured to carry the recording medium and direct the recording medium past the print head; and an aerodynamic element arranged on the conveyor belt and configured to match the clearance below the nozzle plate in a region that extends before the intake edge in the transport direction, starting from the intake edge to the reference clearance so that a flat top side of the aerodynamic element facing toward the nozzle plate at the intake edge is at a same height as a top side of the recording medium facing toward the nozzle plate, wherein at least a portion of the flat top side of the aerodynamic element travels parallel to the top side of the recording medium.
2. Inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein: the conveyor comprises a carrier configured to accommodate at least portions of the recording medium; the carrier comprises a lowered region configured to accommodate the recording medium; and the carrier comprises the aerodynamic element in a front region of the carrier that is arranged before the lowered region with respect to the transport direction.
3. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein: the flat top side of the aerodynamic element facing toward the nozzle plate is level with the top side of the recording medium if the recording medium is arranged in a lowered region of the carrier; and/or the top side of the aerodynamic element travels over a minimum distance at a same level as the top side of the recording medium, the minimum distance depending on a velocity of the relative motion between the print head and the recording medium.
4. The inkjet printer according to claim 2 , wherein: the lowered region of the carrier forms a trough configured to accommodate the recording medium; and/or the carrier includes an additional aerodynamic element in a rear region arranged after the lowered region with respect to the transport direction.
5. The inkjet printer according to claim 2 , wherein the lowered region of the carrier is configured to accommodate only a partial region of the recording medium, starting from the intake edge.
6. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein the conveyor belt further comprises one or more additional aerodynamic elements, the aerodynamic element and the one or more additional aerodynamic elements being arranged spaced apart from one another on the conveyor belt to form a fill template configured to receive the recording medium.
7. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein: the conveyor comprises a floor that is configured to at least partially support the recording medium; the aerodynamic element is configured such that an air flow produced by the relative motion between the print head and the recording medium travels at least in part below the floor; and the floor is configured such that a suction force on the recording medium toward the floor is produced by the air flow traveling below the floor.
8. The inkjet printer according to claims 1 , wherein: the aerodynamic element is arranged in a region between two successive recording media; and the printer is configured to print, using the print head, a regeneration print image and/or test print image onto the flat top side of the aerodynamic element for regeneration and/or monitoring of the one or more nozzles.
9. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein the aerodynamic element is configured such that an air flow produced by the relative motion between the print head and the recording medium in the clearance below the nozzle plate is free or substantially free of eddies and/or turbulence at the intake edge of the recording medium.
10. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein the recording medium is a sheet, page, or plate.
11. An inkjet printer for printing to a recording medium, comprising: a print head having one or more nozzles arranged in a nozzle plate; and a conveyor configured to move the recording medium in a transport direction relative to the print head to print a print image onto the recording medium and such that at least an intake edge of the recording medium is arranged at least partially below the nozzle plate, wherein a clearance below the nozzle plate corresponds to a reference clearance as of the intake edge, the conveyor including: an aerodynamic element that is configured to converge the clearance below the nozzle plate on the reference clearance to match the reference clearance in a region that extends before the intake edge and starting from the intake edge with respect to the transport direction, wherein the aerodynamic element is arranged in a region between two successive recording media, the aerodynamic element including a flat surface that faces toward the nozzle plate, wherein the printer is configured to print, using the print head, a regeneration print image and/or test print image onto the flat surface of the aerodynamic element for regeneration and/or monitoring of the one or more nozzles.
12. The inkjet printer according to claim 11 , wherein the recording medium is a sheet, page, or plate.
13. A carrier for supporting a recording medium in a printer, comprising: a body configured to accommodate at least a portion of the recording medium; and an aerodynamic element coupled to the body and arranged before the body with respect to a transport direction of the printer, the aerodynamic element including a planar top portion and an angled portion configured to direct an air flow to a bottom of the body of the carrier, wherein the planar top portion has a height that is greater or equal to a thickness of the recording medium.
14. The carrier according to claim 13 , further comprising a second aerodynamic element coupled to the body and arranged after the body such that the recording medium accommodated by the body is positioned between the aerodynamic element and the second aerodynamic element with respect to the transport direction.
15. The carrier according to claim 13 , wherein the body includes one or more apertures extending through the bottom of the body and configured to generate a suction force on the recording medium based on the air flow, the suction force forcing the recording medium towards the bottom of the body.
16. The carrier according to claim 14 , wherein the body includes one or more apertures extending through the bottom of the body and configured to generate a suction force on the recording medium based on the air flow, the suction force forcing the recording medium towards the bottom of the body.
17. A printer, comprising: the carrier according to claim 13 ; and a print head arranged above a transport that is configured to move the carrier and the print medium supported thereby through a clearance formed between the print head and the transport.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
November 19, 2018
March 17, 2020
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